Marshall Thundering Herd vs Louisiana Ragin Cajuns Betting Pick & Prediction 12/7/24

ESPN will be covering the Marshall Thundering Herd and Louisiana Ragin Cajuns matchup, set for 7:30 ET on Saturday, December 7th, at Cajun Field in Lafayette. The Louisiana Ragin Cajuns are the -4.5 point spread favorites at home. The over/under line is currently at 57 points. The money line odds are +167 for Marshall and -201 for Louisiana. Both teams come in with 10-2 records for the season.

MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD VS LOUISIANA RAGIN CAJUNS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Marshall Thundering Herd +4.5

This game will be played at Cajun Field at 7:30 ET on Saturday, December 7th.

WHY BET THE MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD:

  • We have the Marshall Thundering Herd winning this one by a score of 32 to 23
  • Not only do we have the Marshall Thundering Herd winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at +4.5
  • We see this game finishing below the line of 57 points

Will The Marshall Thundering Herd Pull Off An Upset As Road Underdogs

Marshall enters Week 15 with a 9-3 record, holding a 100% chance of bowl eligibility and a 39.1% shot at winning the Sun Belt. They are 5-0 at home but 2-3 on the road this season. The Thundering Herd have been favored in six games, going 6-0 in those matchups, and their average scoring margin is +7.2 points per game.

Against the spread, Marshall has been impressive with an 8-1-1 record. They are 4-0-1 ATS on the road and 4-1 at home. As favorites, they are 5-1 ATS, and they’ve covered the spread in all three games as underdogs, going 3-0-1.

This week’s over/under line is set at 57 points. Marshall’s games have averaged 56.7 points, with an average O/U line of 53.9 points. Their over/under record stands at 5-5, with nine games featuring lower lines than this week’s total.

Marshall’s offense is averaging 31.9 points per game, ranking 34th in the nation, and they are 59th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 15. Their strength is their rushing attack, with 205 rushing yards per game, placing them 19th nationally. A.J. Turner leads the team with 864 rushing yards, averaging 8 yards per carry, and has scored six touchdowns.

Quarterback Braylon Braxton has thrown for 1,431 yards, completing 58.9% of his passes, with 17 touchdowns and just two interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 111. Christian Fitzpatrick leads the receiving corps with 569 yards and six touchdowns on 32 catches. Marshall ranks 27th in passer rating nationally.

Marshall’s defense has been a concern this season, allowing 24.8 points per game, ranking them 48th nationally. They’ve struggled against the run, giving up 189.4 rushing yards per game, placing them 142nd in the country. In their latest game, they allowed 244 rushing yards on 53 attempts.

Against the pass, Marshall has allowed 198.8 yards per game, ranking 55th. Opposing quarterbacks have completed 59.2% of their passes, with a passer rating of 81.9. In their last game, Marshall’s defense gave up 138 passing yards and recorded one interception.

Are The Louisiana Ragin Cajuns Going To Defend Home Field Advantage?

Louisiana enters Week 15 with a 10-2 record, and they are 100% bowl-eligible. They have a 61% chance of winning the Sun Belt. At home, they are 3-2, while they are undefeated on the road at 5-0.

Their average scoring margin is +12.8 points per game, and they are 6-4 against the spread this season. On the road, they are 4-1 ATS, while at home, they are 2-3.

Louisiana’s over/under record is 6-4, with their games averaging 58.3 points. This week’s line is set at 57 points, slightly below their average line of 57.2 points.

Louisiana’s offense has been strong this season, ranking 15th in scoring with 35.6 points per game and 19th in our offensive power rankings. Their passing game has been a key factor, as they are 26th in the nation with 265.7 passing yards per game. They are 7th in completion percentage, completing 69.5% of their passes, and 11th in passer rating.

Ben Wooldridge leads the team with 2,392 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He has a passer rating of 109 and has completed 68.1% of his passes. Bill Davis has rushed for 777 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 5 yards per carry. Lance LeGendre has 733 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 44 catches.

Louisiana’s defense has allowed 22.8 points per game this season, ranking 34th nationally. In their recent game against UL Monroe, they forced three interceptions but still gave up 23 points, allowing 335 total yards, including 167 rushing yards and 168 passing yards.

Opponents have averaged 157.4 rushing yards per game against Louisiana and 189.1 passing yards. Quarterbacks have completed 63.5% of their passes, with a passer rating of 76.2 against the Ragin’ Cajuns’ defense.